


that's my opinion

by rainbowshoes



Series: witcher tumblr prompts [2]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Curses, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Truth Spells, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27486721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowshoes/pseuds/rainbowshoes
Summary: i asked for prompts on tumblr and this is the answer to this one:"Hey if you are still taking prompt what about a flustered Eskel with a truth cursed Jaskier, like Eskel always thought jask was making fun of his appearance before but now he's curse and cant stop talking"
Relationships: Eskel/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: witcher tumblr prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2004985
Comments: 12
Kudos: 240





	that's my opinion

**Author's Note:**

> [title from this vine](https://youtu.be/BODacQoSgNY) (i spent FOREVER searching for a vine that would work ok, couldn't think of one, but i have a pattern to hold to dammit)
> 
> vines with the others!
> 
> also pls forgive any weird formatting things im posting from mobile
> 
> i abused the italics again too

"Oh thank everything you're here," Jaskier said, practically gasping as he threw himself against Eskel for a clinging embrace. Eskel startled, a little, but didn't let him go and kept him upright. He'd figured out very quickly that Jaskier was far more tactile than anyone else Eskel had ever met. 

"What's happened?" Eskel asked. "Is everything all right?"

Jaskier tugged away a bit and slumped miserably. "No, everything is  _ not  _ all right. I was hit with some sort of curse or something. Every time I open my mouth, I can't seem to stop talking and I say things I wouldn't normally say." Jaskier seemed distressed. He sat down heavily at the table - a shadowy back corner, which was an odd choice for Jaskier when he was normally the center of attention as often as possible. Eskel sat across from him. 

"What?" Eskel asked, a little thrown. He'd never heard of any curses of that particular nature before. It seemed like a very odd, very specific sort of thing. 

"Just - oh, just listen." Jaskier huffed. The tavern keeper came over to their table, and Jaskier looked like he was trying very hard to keep his mouth firmly shut. 

"Witcher," the man said, eyeing Eskel warily. "Want anything?" 

"Beer and whatever you have for supper," Eskel said with a nod. He was already going for his coin purse. 

Jaskier made an odd noise, and Eskel looked over at him. "And don't spit in it," he said to the tavern keeper. The tavern keeper looked taken aback. "Don't give me that look," Jaskier said, though he very much looked like he wanted to clap his hands over his mouth. "Fresh beer, too, not the dregs from the last barrel. Don't water it down, either. His coin is just as good as anyone else's, and he's probably here to kill whatever monster has been plaguing this shit town. The least you could do is be decent to the man who is probably going to be the reason you live and aren't eaten by a wyvern." 

The tavern keeper looked angry, but other than flushing an interesting shade of purple - and ignoring the stares of everyone around their table - he did nothing at all. He turned on his heel and marched over to the bar and made a show of pouring a pitcher of ale from a barrel that must have just been tapped recently and stomped back over to slam it on the table with a cup. Eskel offered him the coin, and the tavern keeper took it before stomping off again. 

"Gods," Jaskier whispered, hiding his face in his hands. "Do you see? It's  _ awful _ ! I - I was going to bed this girl and she, well. She was sort of plain, really. We'd had a perfectly lovely conversation and I liked her, and I didn't really care what she looked like. But she asked me if I thought she was pretty and instead of waxing poetic at her about - whatever - I  _ told her the truth _ . It was awful! She slapped me and shouted at me. I haven't cocked things up that badly since I was a teenager." Jaskier groaned pitifully. "Tried again with a blacksmith a town over and he  _ really  _ didn't like it when he asked me what I was thinking about - and who  _ does  _ that, really? - and I told him that his shoulders reminded me of yours and that was the entirety of the reason I'd decided to fuck him." 

Eskel choked on his sip of beer and had to cough a bit before he could breathe again. "What?" 

Jaskier fell forward until his forehead was resting on the table. "Apparently I can't lie? Or even misdirect anyone. I rarely ever outright  _ lie _ , you know. I just talk around the truth. But I can't do even that now! And I don't mind if it's you, Eskel, truly. Even if you ask me all sorts of embarrassing questions, I know you at least won't hate me for my answers. Or I hope not, anyway." That was a lot of trust, and even with Jaskier's claims that he couldn't lie, Eskel still wasn't quite sure he believed him. "And I can't  _ stop talking _ . Doesn't matter how hard I try not to!" He looked up with big, imploring eyes. "You've got to help me. Please, Eskel. I'd try to find Geralt, but I don't think I'd survive the attempt, and even if I did, I think he'd murder me himself just to be rid of the annoyance of my literal constant chatter."

Eskel took another drink - a very long drink - and then sighed. "Right. Well. Do you know who cursed you?" 

"No," Jaskier pouted. "I don't make it a habit to associate with mages, truthfully. That doesn't mean much, though. They could have been a mage and I just didn't realize. I don't have a fancy medallion to hum at me when there's magic around. Gods, my life would be far simpler if I did." Jaskier paused for only a moment, then grimaced. "No, nevermind. It probably wouldn't be. I'd cock that up too, I'm sure." He shook his head and then pushed himself upright. He took a drink himself and his shoulders slumped again. 

"That makes it a lot harder," Eskel said. He chose his next words carefully. "Do you remember where you were when you first noticed this happening?" Jaskier shook his head, and there was no word-vomit this time. That was interesting. Eskel knew little enough about curses, those weren't really his area of expertise, but if Jaskier couldn't talk about it, that was a sign that whoever had cast it didn't want the knowledge being traced back to them. "We could try to get in touch with Yennefer?"

"That witch?" Jaskier asked, offended. "She would laugh until she was blue in the face and then mock me until I was dead! She'd be far more inclined to try and exploit this whole situation than do anything actually useful." He huffed. 

That was a fair point, Eskel supposed. Eskel didn't like mages anyway. He rubbed at the scars on his face with one hand. A plump woman with a red face brought Eskel a plate of food and gave Jaskier a wary look, but he didn't say anything to her. He was too busy staring into the bottom of his cup like it had all the answers. Perhaps it did. 

"Have you eaten?" Eskel asked. 

Jaskier gave him a small smile. "Yes, a bit earlier. You're so kind to ask. Geralt never bothered." He rolled his eyes. "Wasn't really his fault, though. He just doesn't think about that sort of thing. And to be fair, I usually made it a point to tell him. But you're always so kind to me. To everyone, really. Even people who don't deserve it. You're the kindest person I've ever met." 

Eskel would have flushed if he could have. "I…" He didn't know what to say. He poked at his food. "Are you drunk?"

"I wish," Jaskier sighed dramatically. "If I get drunk this whole problem only gets worse. It's dreadful." Eskel snorted a quiet laugh. Jaskier grinned at him. "Oh, go on. You can laugh. I know it must be hilarious from the outside. I'm utterly miserable, but I love it when you laugh. You don't do it nearly often enough." 

"I don't think this is a truth curse," Eskel said abruptly. "I feel like you've been cursed to say things specifically to make people uncomfortable."

Jaskier shook his head. "No, that's definitely the truth. Go on, ask me something. I literally can't lie. It's fucking distressing, but." He shrugged. "I'm not saying things to make you uncomfortable, Eskel. I'm even a little bit sorry that you feel that way. But only a little bit. You have the best laugh, and I love your shoulders. I want to climb them. Also your smile is gorgeous, and I hate that you hide it from me all the time. And your -"

"Okay," Eskel said, holding up his hand. Jaskier was physically biting his lip to stop the words from pouring out. He… probably appreciated the effort. Maybe. He didn't know. He tried to think of something he knew for sure so he could confirm Jaskier was telling the truth without it being about himself. Geralt had told him a few stories, here and there. "Tell me about when you first met Geralt." 

Jaskier sucked in a deep breath and the story  _ poured  _ out of him - with asides and details he hadn't asked for - but so much of it lined up with Geralt's version of the story that it had to be the truth. Jaskier took so much time with it that Eskel had finished his dinner and they'd each had another beer and they'd headed up to the room Jaskier had already rented for the night - a tightly-packed double room with two very narrow beds and a little washtub already waiting. 

Jaskier kept talking even as Eskel scrubbed clean and then set about cleaning his armor and swords and taking inventory of his bags. The story had progressed beyond that of the events in Posada to those in Rinbe with the djinn, and Eskel finally learned some of why Jaskier was a bit put out with Geralt. He'd basically run off and left Jaskier after Jaskier had thought him dead. Eskel didn't blame Jaskier for his ire. 

Getting all of that out of him did seem to wear him down a bit, though, which was good. Jaskier was still muttering about what a thoughtless ass Geralt could be sometimes - and Eskel wasn't going to argue with that, either, because it was true, even if he did love Geralt dearly - when Eskel sat on the opposite bed and faced Jaskier. 

"There's old wives' tales about people who are cursed swimming in running rivers and the like," Eskel told him. "Could try that."

"Already did," Jaskier sighed. "I'd heard that, too. I know Geralt says most curses are just stupid shit people  _ think  _ are curses, but this is the real thing! What am I supposed to do? I can't even sing!" Jaskier was genuinely distressed as he waved his hand about. "I started messing up all the lyrics when I tried. It was  _ awful _ ." 

Eskel shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't come across many real curses. As Geralt said, most of what people believe is a curse is just their imagination playing them for fools. We let them go on believing it because there's still coin to be made, but." Eskel shrugged. "Most curses I've heard of come out of story books." 

Jaskier waggled his eyebrows. "You could kiss me." Eskel's eyebrows shot up. "Seems to be a common remedy in all the fairy tales. And I would enjoy it even if it didn't break the curse." 

And Eskel knew - knew well from the last couple of hours - that Jaskier had indeed been spelled to speak only the truth somehow. But he still didn't quite believe Jaskier really wanted to kiss  _ him _ . How could he want that? 

"I can see you doubting me," Jaskier pouted. "I can't lie! I physically can't say anything other than the truth. More than I even want to say. I have wanted to kiss you since the day I met you. I've wanted to bed you since about three days after that. I've wanted to keep traveling the Path with you since about that long, too. I enjoy your company. You're almost unbearably kind. I think of myself as a generally nice person, but seeing the way you are with people makes me want to be even better. I know I fall in love at the drop of a hat, but that's never been a bad thing for me. And I love you, Eskel." He stood and walked over to him. "Can you at least humor me and try it?" 

Eskel's mouth was very, very dry. But he nodded. Jaskier's grin was bright as the sun. His hand was oddly soft and calloused at the same time where he smoothed it over the scarred side of Eskel's face. He bent down and kissed Eskel. It wasn't a chaste peck, either. Somehow, Jaskier wound up fully in Eskel's lap with Eskel's hands on his waist and Jaskier's fingers tangled in his hair. 

"Well that's certainly one way to make sure I don't keep talking," Jaskier said with a soft laugh. Eskel nipped at his bottom lip and drew him in for another kiss. He hadn't enjoyed anything quite like that in some time. 

"Try to lie," Eskel said when they broke apart again. 

"I fucking hate whoever cursed me," Jaskier said immediately. He blinked in surprise. "That - was actually a lie. If I hadn't been cursed, I don't know how I'd have convinced you to kiss me." He grinned and kissed Eskel again, seemingly for the hell of it. "The sun rises in the west and sets in the east." He laughed, delighted. "The sky is green." He kissed Eskel yet again, and Eskel didn't quite see why he should bother to stop him. 

"Can't believe that worked," Eskel murmured against the side of Jaskier's neck, even as his hands were busy tugging at Jaskier's clothes. 

"Mm, I can," Jaskier said, his head tipped back. "There's always some truth to fairy tales." He combed his fingers through Eskel's hair, scraping lightly against his scalp, and Eskel shivered very slightly. "Truthfully, Eskel -"

"No more truths tonight," Eskel told him. He sat back a little to look at Jaskier. "I've had as many as I can handle." Jaskier grinned at him. "And if you really want to travel with me, I won't say no."

"Well, then," Jaskier said softly. "I hope you don't mind music."

Eskel gave him a hopeless little smile. "Don't mind it a bit."

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](https://shyglittercreature.tumblr.com/) where you can send prompts


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